CM takes U-turn: never gave Alam clean chit…

Earlier,last week Badal had said in Kapurthala that he had never heard anything wrong about Alam and even asked for evidence against the former DGP who is being projected as SAD candidate from Malerkotla and had been appointed as constituency in-charge of the party.

In Sultanpur Lodhi,when reminded that the SAD had already announced Alam’s candidature from Malerkotla,Badal said the party will give ticket to anyone only after assessing his past record,win-ability and several other factors.

He said that he would also meet Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhuma over the issue. The Damdami Taksal-led Sant Samaj,an ally of SAD in the forthcoming Assembly elections,had earlier alleged that Alam was responsible for killing of innocent Sikhs in Punjab during terrorism days.

Badal,who inaugurated projects worth Rs 214 crore in Kapurthala,including a modern jail built at a cost of Rs 122 crore,said the SAD-BJP alliance would contest the elections exclusively on the plank of development,peace and communal harmony.

Referring to the objections raised by state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh over the great pomp and show at the inauguration of second World Cup Kabaddi Championship,the CM said that the former chief minister was cynical and believes in negativity.

He also advised Amarinder not to use abusive language as it smacks of arrogance and display of ‘cheapest’ politics. He was reacting to the reports where Amarinder had equated him with the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Asked to comment on the recent visit of Baba Ramdev to Punjab and his assurance to campaign against Congress in the assembly elections,Badal said he would welcome the yoga guru.

Responding to a question on the delay in tabling in Assembly the draft of the jail reforms legislation to provide more facilities to prisoners ,the CM said that the draft is “almost ready”.

Badal said new jails would come up at Faridkot,Mansa and Nabha to cope with the rush of prisoners. “Family quarters were also being constructed in the modern jail premises so that inmates could spend some days on parole with their families,” he said.

1,600 inmates from central jail Jalandhar were shifted to the jail here,Badal said,adding that the new jail could accommodate more than 2,870 inmates.

Punjab’s Jail Minister Hira Singh Gabria said Rs 308 crore has been spent on modern jails at Kapurthala,Nabha,Mansa and Faridkot which would enhance the capacity of inmates to 7,000.

He said at present the capacity of jails in Punjab was 12,000 inmates while the number of prisoners are about 18,000.